When to Plant Saxifraga in Elk River, MN

Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to estimate your garden schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

The first chance to plant saxifraga in Elk River should be estimated by reviewing the USDA zone info.


Planting Calendar for Saxifraga

Frost tolerance for saxifraga: Tolerant of a very small amount of frost.
When to plant: Up to 3 weeks before last frost.

Saxifraga do well in mild cold which means that you can plant them a bit earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Legend 
A good time to plant saxifraga
Possibly ok, but a risky time to plant saxifraga
Probably not a good time to plant saxifraga

The earliest that you can plant saxifraga in Elk River is April. However, you really should wait until May if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant saxifraga and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your saxifraga may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your saxifraga indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Elk River the average date of last frost happens on May 15. You can expect an average low temperature of -25°F in the coldest months of winter.

It's important to remember that the actual date of last frost is an average because it is based on the USDA zone info for Elk River and it is different every year. Half of the time in Elk River there is a last frost after May 15 so make sure that you are prepared to protect your saxifraga in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Elk River

Here is the info for USDA Zone 4b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)May 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)September 15
Lowest Expected Low-25°F
Highest Expected Low-20°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -25°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -20°F.

Plants to Grow in Elk River

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Elk River.